Glaring Dusk
by leanne0716
Summary: Written during the first few chapters of Eclipse. What happens when a new vampire moves into town? Will the citizens of Forks be in danger or will this new asset help them in its protection? And what of the Volturi...?


Disclaimer: I do not own or play any part in the wonderful series by Stephenie Meyer. All rights belong to her and her alone.

_Written for Lexi Ramsey_

**Glaring Dusk**

**1. Movements**

Humans are not as frail as they may appear. They are perceptive, alert and persuasive when the need arises. They are also organized and slightly self-orientated. They are a very capable species – inept only when compared to that of my own.

My name is Alden Caswell and I am, to put it simply, a vampire. I try my best to remain inconspicuous, shielding my presence from the dulled senses of humans and they stay oblivious, for the most part. For this reason I moved away from the bustling city of Seattle where I had lived for over a century and sought a quiet place to gather my plans for the future, something I intended to see a lot of. I searched the surrounding areas for places to settle. And there it was.

A tiny dot on the map. Forks.

The answer to my problem came in the form of a small town of barely over three thousand people.

It seemed fated that I would live here and function safely amongst the humans for a few years before my forever-seventeen appearance made them suspicious and I was forced to move away from their prying questions. Too perceptive, as usual. Well, I thought to myself, it's worth a shot.

The only reason I stay within such close propinquity with the humans is because they no longer appealed to me. The scent of their blood, so frequently spilled before me and surrounding my very being, had become nothing more than a shadow of temptation. I instead preyed upon animals, normally large game such as bears and lions and now I even held day jobs in the urban areas where I live. Now, Forks will be my home and I will probably live amongst the blissful humans in peace.

I began my journey from Seattle on a good, cloudy day, running through the bushes, trees and any other cover I could find. Although the humans wouldn't see me I didn't feel like the open road today.

I passed a few rundown houses as I neared the city of Port Angeles and it reminded me of the homes of my childhood. I was born in what is now Everett, Washington in 1875. I smiled grimly to myself when I thought about those early days. When I say "born" I really mean to say "became a vampire" as I have no recollection of ever being human. The first fifty years were...amazing and appalling. I killed more than nine hundred people across the United States in two years alone. At those times, people were more spread out and I was seen more than once as I mercilessly killed everyone in my path. I slaughtered and killed and slaughtered and fed and I became powerful beyond believe.

One day, however, it all changed.

I had been following a girl whose scent was so delectable, so divine that I couldn't help but see if, by the smallest of chances, it was in her lineage to have such allure and whether or not her relatives would be just as appealing to me. I followed and waited, patient as a saint, and found that I was not that only one in pursuit of the human girl. A burly man who looked to be about thirty was trailing this girl with almost as much enthusiasm as I. Puzzled by this, I waited in the tops of surrounding trees and watched.

I was so intent on the two humans before me that I did not catch another scent in my immediate range. The scent of another member of my kind.

The young vampire, a male with features of surreal beauty much like my own, leapt at the man, silencing him and feeding upon him feet from where the girl walked on. I was so stunned that I couldn't help but watch as the vampire fed and left. I had, up until this point, avoided seeing another vampire feed from a human before and it appalled me. The distaste I felt bubbled and licked my emotions wildly, firing me up so much I thought that perhaps I had become human again. From that day forward, however, I never fed on a human despite my thirst and need.

Shaking myself of my recollections, I sprang lightly to a halt as I intercepted highway one-oh-one and closed my eyes briefly. My surroundings immediately became still, though only in my subconscious. I was able to "run" the rest of the way to Forks, pinpointing where I would turn and go. Opening my eyes, I sprang off in the direction I had "seen". This talent for navigation was carried, I suppose, from my human life to my current existence. An incredibly handy asset if I do say so myself.

The rest of the way passed in a blur and finally I was in Forks, slowing down to a human-paced walk as I went down North Forks Avenue. Cars bustled by and the rain, which I had not noticed until now, pelted down in soft sheets. Like velvet, I mused before I stood and contented myself with watching cars pass slowly by.

This town was perfect in more ways than one. Low population, a good share of cloudy days, friendly people, lots of forest...all it needed now was a sign saying "Vampires Welcome" and I'm sure I would be content with living here for a long time. Smiling widely and whistling in the breeze was enough to get me upbeat and I began moving gently down the bustling road, watching every movement made around me. Some humans stared in awe at me, a tribute to the one tool of physical attraction that seemed to draw in prey more effectively than any other, while others just looked frightened. They all kept a wide space between us, making sure to only look at my face when I pretended not to notice. An old woman with dense eyes scorched me over with a glare before holding her hands up and making an impatient shooing motion.

"Boy, get out of the way and keep on moving because I'm trying to keep these ladies," she pointed to her workers, who had stopped to gape, "working." The expression on her face was obviously meant to be threatening and if I wasn't capable of a glance that would scare her out of her skin, it would've worked.

Instead, I smiled, moved pointedly out of her way with a wide side-step and continued lazily down the street, my hands casual and light inside my pockets.

A glance to the left revealed to me my reflection, something I hadn't seen in a while. My tousled black hair fell happily around my face, content with sticking up in places and twirling and curling in others. The deep-set almost-permanently ochre eyes were surprisingly pleasant and warm, inviting in anyone who wished to die to say hello. I looked down at my clothes and saw what I had expected, though since I didn't pay much attention I wouldn't have been surprised if I had been wrong. A black sleeveless shirt hung loosely over my body, contrasting with my pale white skin beneath it. My legs were incased in old jeans and my shoes were casual black sneakers. So unbelievably human, I thought to myself.

I broke off into one of the streets to carry me away from the Main Road and came across a sporting goods store which looked interestingly destined for me. I felt surprise working at my face, molding it as if it were putty, into the appropriate expression and entered the store without another thought.

As I passed through the threshold of the store and strode down an aisle, something put my senses on high alert.

It took me a minute to figure out what it was and during that minute the salesclerk, a young boy, probably a senior in high school, stared tentatively at me, about to ask me what I needed.

My brain moved and twirled as it tried to grasp what my senses had so obviously already realized. I had unconsciously curled my long fingers into claws, my lips parting to release a growl. The salesclerk shifted, sighed, smiled and shifted again before a woman with sharp blonde hair, high heels and a chastising expression flurried from behind me, walking promptly through the Employees Only door.

"Mike," she said, in a dark tone, "I thought I –"

She stopped as she saw me, her breath catching in her throat and her eyes taking me in up and down.

After a pause, she smiled and said, "Hello, sir. How may I help you?" in a would-be alluring voice.

My brain hissed and thrashed at her before realizing that she was not a threat and pulling a smile over my face. She shook her head as if something she had thought bothered her and then smiled sheepishly back, expectant. My composure built up and finally I was able to speak in a voice I thought would suffice.

"No, ma'am," the tone was soft and pleasant, yet sounded like it had an ulterior motive behind it, playfully seductive. "I was just wondering whether you had any of these," I grabbed a pair of female hiking boots, "in a size nine please."

The boy named Mike sprung up as if I'd said the magic words and hurried to the back, returning with a pair of the exact same boots in the specified size. "Good service," I muttered with a smile, just loud enough for them to hear and for Mrs. Blonde-and-Glittery to beam at Mike with approval.

I paid for the shoes and was about to leave when I recognized, finally, the feeling and reaction I had had.

It was another vampire, or at least the scent of one. It wasn't recent but it was strong enough for me to asses that he or she had been an avid customer at this particular store. The scent swam through my nose and it felt as if I had a head cold. The thought made me laugh out loud, a sound that had the woman mesmerized. Still smiling to keep her happy, I walked a little faster than was necessary out of the store and began tracking the scent. It obviously stopped outside the store – if they were doing human things such as buying outdoor equipment why not assume that they were doing human things such as driving around in cars? – but I leaned against the wall, closed my eyes and tracked it to the next place I could.

I saw a long driveway, surrounded by trees and twisting with ominous speed, which led to a sort of meadow and then something like a mansion stood, reflecting the afternoon sun. So the vampires still lived in Forks did they? I thought to myself and then decided it would be best to shut down as I neared them, closing my brain to all but the simplest of thoughts. They could perhaps have "gifts" as I did and maybe already knew I was coming.

I ducked into the bushes and took off down the streets, heading straight for the mansion. I couldn't see if any of the humans noticed me but I didn't worry too much. They were keen but also feared what they could not "rationally" explain to themselves, meaning I was in the 'very feared' catagory. The wind blew against my body, caressing me and finally I reached the snake-like road. It curved and crooked just as I had seen it and when I ultimately broke through into the meadow, I froze.


End file.
